Ginny Di tweeted recently about Magnus the Fifth ( https://twitter.com/itsginnydi/status/1574104373033979909?s=20&t=0KNFtv-sU1UT5tR96o7Tlw) and it got me thinking about *why* he is so beloved.

Yes, he is kind and a good role model and a loving husband, but there's more to him.

Magnus is the anti-John. Magnus is everything that John *should* be, but isn't.

They both love dumb dad jokes, and have a self-depreciating sense of humor. They were both chosen by an incredible woman, and saw their status elevated because of it. They both gladly take on the role of father-figure to lost and disoriented teens. They both inspire an incredible amount of loyalty in their charges.

But while John is threatened by the growing independence of those around him, Magnus is not.

Magnus is never once threatened by Abigail's brilliance. Gideon defeats him soundly--shamefully, even--in a dual, and he never brings it up again. And when Harrow is trying to determine what to do after vanquishing the Sleeper, his advice is to *let her go* and move on, even though it will be difficult. (I think he didn't know some important things that made this bad advice, but his perspective--that you cannot control everyone and everything, and sometimes must accept the actions of others and the pain that those actions bring--is crucial to understanding him as a character.) Magnus shows us love in a way that does not center himself or consume the object of his love.

We love Magnus because he shows us who John could be.